UCLA roars back against Cal, 47-40
PASADENA, California -- UCLA tailback Maurice Jones-Drew did just enough to overcome California's potent rushing attack.
A junior from Northern California, Jones-Drew accounted for five touchdowns, including a go-ahead 29-yard reception with 1:35 remaining, as No. 20 UCLA posted a thrilling 47-40 victory over 10th-ranked California in a matchup of unbeaten Pac-10 Conference rivals.
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Cal Sophomore running back Justin Forsett had 10 carries for 153 yards and fellow sophomore Marshawn Lynch added 22 rushes for 135 yards for California (5-1, 2-1 Pac 10), which had a 12-game regular-season winning streak snapped despite compiling 525 total yards.
UCLA (5-0, 2-0) trailed, 14-0, less than three minutes into the game, but Jones-Drew returned a punt 69 yards to the 4 to set up one touchdown - the first allowed by Cal's defense in 10 quarters - and converted a 12 yard scoring rush on the first play of the second period to tie it, 14-14.
Jones-Drew added a one-yard rush with 21 seconds left in the half before taking a punt 80 yards down the left sideline to give UCLA its first lead, 28-27. However, after Cal kicker Tom Schneider booted his third field goal, Lynch ran it in from 11 yards out for a 37-28 advantage.
Schneider made another field goal with 12:25 left in the fourth quarter before UCLA began its comeback. Senior UCLA quarterback Drew Olson scored on a one-yard rush to cut the deficit to 40-35 with 7:40 to go. After running five minutes off the clock, UCLA took over at its own 25.
Olson completed 2-of-4 passes for 49 yards before his screen pass to Jones-Drew, who scampered down the right sideline for the go-ahead score. An interception by UCLA sophomore corner Trey Brown sealed the win for the Bruins and Jones-Drew capped his monster day with a two-yard rush as time expired.
California junior quarterback Joseph Ayoob completed 18-of-35 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns while freshman wide receiver DeSean Jackson had 10 receptions for 128 yards for Cal, which had outscored its opponents by a combined 77-3 in the fourth quarter of its first five games.